Salt and pepper shaker



M. M. BALSAM Dec. 29, 1925- SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER Filed April 1 1925 Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE M. BALSAM, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL HERMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER.

Application filed April I, 1925.

To all whom i may concern -Be it known that I, MAURIoE M. BALSAM, a. citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Salt and Pepper 3 Shakers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to combination shakers in which the salt and pepper are received in separated compartments of the containergand' delivered through a cap arranged to permit the escape of either as desired, and the object of the invention is to provide a cap and controlling means therefor of slmple construction, easily and economically assembled, and which shall be 7 proved shaker.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top or plan view correspond ing to Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a plan view of the container with the cap removed.

Figure 5 is a top view of the cap with the slidable disk removed therefrom.

Figure 6 is a corresponding view of the under side of the cap.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the upper portion of the container, showing a. preferred means coacting with the cap for attaching the latter to the container.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures.

The body of the container is marked 10 and may be understood to be of glass, having a vertical partition 11 dividing the interior into two compartments, 12 and 13, one for salt and the other for pepper, and extending through the cylindrical neck 14 of the container, terminating flush with the upper face of the neck. The container is shown as having an annular swell or head 15 at the junction of the neck and body.

Serial No. 19,791.

The cap is of metal having a cylindrical skirt 16 adapted to fit snugly upon the exterior of the neck, and a flap top 17 arranged to fit closely to the upper faces or edges of the neck and partition when the cap is engaged with the neck. Such attachment may be made in any suitable manner; as shown in the drawings the skirt 16 of the cap is provided with three inwardly projecting spurs 18, unequally spaced circiunferentially, and adapted to engage in three L-shaped grooves 19 similarly spaced in the exterior of the neck 14, and join the cap to the neck in a manner similar to the well known bayonot lock, the top of the cap being drawn into close contact with the top of the neck and partition by the inclined portions 20 of the walls of the grooves.

i The top 17 of the cap is provided with two groups of small holes separated by a diametrically extending unperforated portion 21 arranged to coincide with the top of the partition 11 when the cap is in place. Such proper position is insured by the unequal spacing of the spurs 18 and grooves 19 which permits the application of the cap in one position only.

The larger holes 22 are thus in communication with the compartment 12 for salt, and the smaller holes 23 open into the pepper compartment 13.

Delivery is controlled by aslidable disk 2 1 mounted upon the upper face of the top 17 of the cap and retained and guided by headed studs 25 riveted to the top 17 and extending through slots 26 in the disk which limit the movement of the latter in its reciprocations. The disk is held normally retracted in one direction by a downwardly extending curved spring finger 27 preferably formed integrally with the disk, and hearing at its lower end against an adjacent surface of the body 10, as the bead 15.

A group of perforations 28 in the disk register with the holes 22 of the cap when the disk is in the normally retracted position, to permit the delivery of salt without mov ing the disk, the group of smaller perforations 29 in the disk are so located relatively to the holes 23 of the cap as to register therewith only when the spring finger 27 is pressed and the disk moved to the full extent permitted by the slots 26 and studs 25. In this position the salt holes 22 are closed by the unperforated portions of the disk, and

pepper may then be delivered through the holes 23 and perforations 29. Upon releasing the spring finger 27 the disk is automatically returned to the normal salt-delivering position and the pepper holes 23 closed.

The structure of the cap and slidable disk is simple and the parts easily and economically assembled. By mounting the disk on the exterior face of the top of the cap the plane interior face of the latter matches closely to the upper edge of the partition and annular edge of the neck, thus effectually preventing leakage from one compartment to the other or from either to the exterior of the body, and it will be noted that there is no space in which any undelivered residue from one compartment can mingle with the delivery from the other, and that there are no moving parts in direct communication with the compartments.

The spring finger produced in one with the disk offers an efficient and economical ineans for controlling delivery, conveniently located for easy opertion by pressure of the thumb of the user, and as the controlling means consists essentially of only the flat top of the cap and the flat disk mounted upon the exterior face thereof, danger of deterioration due to corrosion is avoided or greatly lessened.

I claim The combined salt and pepper shaker described, comprising a body with a neck thereon and an exteriorswell and a partition dividing the interior of said body and neck into two compartments, a cap received on said neck and having the inner face of its top disposed to lie closely upon the upper edges of said neck and partition, said top having two groups of holes each group communicating with one of said compartments, means for joining said cap to said neck and compressing said top upon said edges, a disk slidably mounted on the upper face of said top and having slots, headed studs on said top received in such slots, said disk having two groups of perforations arranged to, register alternately with said groups of holes, and adownwardly extended spring finger formed integrally with said disk, and in longitudinal alignment with said slots and having its lower end free and outwardly curved and arranged to coact with an adjacent surface of said swell of said body and hold said disk normally with one group of its perforations in register with one of said groups of holes and to close the other group of holes, and by pressure thereon to' shift said disk to interrupt such registry and establish registration of the other of said groups of holes and perforations.

In testimony that I claim theinvention above set forth I affix my signaturehereto.

MAURICE-M. BALSAM. 

